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DAC meets with representatives from cities affected by terrorism

The UK’s Policing Lead for Protective Security, Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Lucy D’Orsi, has called for private companies and the commercial sector to buy-in to a ‘Protect Duty’ and work with police to help keep the public safe. D’orsi stressed the importance for a commercial sector to start factoring protective security measures into event planning and new infrastructure projects at the earliest possibly stage at an event in London recently. The ‘Safer Cities’ discussion, which took place at the UK Security Expo at London Olympia, brought together representatives from cities which have been recently affected by terrorism to share collective experience of dealing with attacks in the hope it can promote best practice and help keep the global public safer. D’orsi used her platform as co-chair to appeal to companies to make protective security key to their future events planning and building management. Senior officers working for Counter Terrorism Policing are developing plans for how policing can better support the private sector in contributing to the UK’s collective Protective Security measures. Specialist officers could also support testing and exercising across the country to make sure a national standard of security training across private sector workers, as well as developing protocols and systems which would allow for the police and government to recover the costs of the use of national assets to protect private events. Lucy D’Orsi, UK’s Policing lead for Protective Security, said: “Methodologies to protect our cities from the increasing terrorist threat are constantly evolving, to ensure that we are prepared to effectively respond and recover from attacks. We in policing will rightly lead on this vital work, but there is always a limit to what we can do and I believe that our colleagues in the private sector also have an important part to play. “Terrorists are using low sophistication, high impact methodologies which are often planned and executed in a short time frame, minimising our ability to disrupt attacks before they occur. Protective security is therefore a key strand of our activity to reduce the impact of attacks. “The private sector has become more willing partners in recent years. Together we have developed communications packages like CSSC and have partnered with business under the Step Change initiative – but to do more to protect the public we need to deliver a more fundamental shift of approach. “The police have a duty to protect the public from terrorist threats, but many responsible private sector entities are already asking how they, too, can contribute. By sharing this ‘duty’ more widely we can increase its reach, scope and efficacy even further.”

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